A member of the House of Representatives from Borno State, on Wednesday, said he has employed 300 medical personnel to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in his constituency.
Engr. Satomi Ahmad, an All Progressives Congress member representing Jere Federal Constituency of Borno State, stated this during the flag-off of mobile clinic against COVID-19 in Maiduguri.
He said COVID-19 is not a fraud as being suggested by some and all hands must be on deck to prevent the spread in his constituency.
READ: Borno confirms first COVID-19 case, isolates 97 contacts
“COVID-19 is not a death warrant and people should understand that it is an illness and with adequate awareness together we can fight it.
“I came up with the team of medical personnel and medical students within my constituency to create awareness and fight this pandemic.
“All hands must be on deck to provide basic information that can help prevent the spread of this virus and to save lives.
“We have engaged 300 medical personnel include medical doctors, Medical Laboratory Scientists, Radiographers, Nurses and Paramedics.
“They are to work in six wards of my constituency with local leaders to go house to house to distribute 100,000 of face masks and PPE to the people,” he said.
He explained that the project was not part of his constituency projects but people of like minds joined hand with him to provide the funds to set up the project.
“The project you are seeing here is worth N200 million so I am here to save my people.
“The funds are not from the National Assembly and it is support from like minds so that all of us can fight this pandemic together.
“There is a need for awareness of the local community that is why we have to make it in a different form than would suit my people.
“I decided to come up with this as they provided medical assistance to the people when they discover any symptom related to COVID-19 they can advise, sensitized and make referrals to the hospital.
“We provide hand washing stations, soaps and hand sanitizer so that they can believe it is real,” Engr. Satomi said.
He stressed that the awareness will go a long way to save lives, why calling the medical workers to see it as services to humanity while promising regular payment of their stipends.
Our correspondent reports that Engr. Satomi also provided tons of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), two luxury buses and an ambulance, fully equipped with medical consumables, for the campaign.